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Wapak ends flawless season |
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Tuesday, 08 July 2008 |
From staff reports
The Wapakoneta Tri-County softball team entered the tri-county tournament with a 5-0 record and the number one seed in the tournament.
The team from Van Wert also entered the tournament undefeated and earned the top seed in the bottom portion of the tournament bracket.
The first round saw Wapakoneta playing Minster.
Emily Whetstone and Kelsey Place shared the pitching duties to shut out Minster 7-0. Whetstone struck out seven batters, while allowing one hit and Place struck out three Minster batters.
Erica Bryan led Wapakoneta at the plate, collecting three hits in three at-bats and scoring three runs. Ashley Schroeder provided a 3-run inside the park homerun in the fifth inning to crush any hopes of a Minster comeback. Jordan Sawmiller added a triple and RBI for the Lady Redskins.
In game two Wapakoneta would face Parkway in the semi-final game. Wapakoneta lost the coin toss and would be the visiting team. Wapakoneta started hot in the first inning as Bryan, Schroeder and Jordon Bodell provided back-to-back singles that allowed Bryan and Schroeder to score on Bodell’s line drive.
The game was suspended after three complete innings because of rain and resumed Sunday afternoon. Neither Wapakoneta or Parkway could produce any offense in the forth and fifth innings as good pitching and defense kept the score 2-0 Wapakoneta.
The sixth inning saw Bodell lead off with a walk. Emily Whetstone followed with another walk to give Wapakoneta runners on first and second with no outs. A passed ball allowed both runners to advance to second and third.
Taylor Rupert provided a sacrifice RBI scoring Sawmiller. Amy Copeland then sacrificed in Whetstone.
Parkway scored one run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Wapakoneta added three insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning as Christy Crow drew a walk, followed by a single from Bodell, and Sawmiller was walked. Crow and Bodelll were driven in by a single from Whetstone. Rupert drew another walk and then Emily Ritchie drove in Sawmiller with a single for the final run giving Wapakoneta a 7-1 victory.
Whetstone was the complete game winner for Wapakoneta. She struck out six Parkway batters while allowing no walks and just two hits.
The championship game was between Wapakoneta and Crestview.
Crestview scored first in the top of the second inning. Third baseman, Amanda Walters, crushed a shot over the center field fence into a strong head wind, giving Crestview a 1-0 lead.
Wapakoneta answered in the bottom of the second inning. The first two Wapakoneta batters struck out before Ritchie smacked a single to centerfield. Copeland followed with a walk giving Wapakoneta two on with two outs. Sandra Springer crunched a line drive to the center field fence with a double scoring both Ritchie and Copeland. Springer advanced to third on a pass ball and scored on a single from Kara Wellons.
The third inning was scoreless and Crestview failed to score in the top of the fourth. In the bottom of the fourth inning Ritchie led off with a walk, followed by a single from Copeland. A passed ball and error would allow both Wapakoneta runners to score, giving Wapakoneta a 5-1 lead. Wapakoneta shut down Crestview in the sixth and seventh innings to secure the victory and championship.
Emily Whestone went the distance for Wapakoneta, giving up only three hits and one run, striking out six, while allowing no walks.
Wapakoneta was aided by strong defense and team play. Wapakoneta finishes the tri-county season undefeated with an 8-0 record.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 08 July 2008 )
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